Petraeus Apologizes, Says Fall From Grace Was 'My Own Doing'

Former CIA director and retired Gen. David Petraeus during his address Tuesday at the University of Southern California.

Frederic J. Brown AFP/Getty Images

Originally published on March 27, 2013 10:33 am

Stepping out of the shadows and into the spotlight for one of the first times since he resigned from his job last November because of an extramarital affair, former CIA Director David Petraeus said Tuesday night he is "keenly aware that the reason for my recent journey was my own doing."

At the University of Southern California's annual ROTC dinner, the former four-star Army general also asked those gathered to "please allow me to begin my remarks this evening by reiterating how deeply I regret — and apologize for — the circumstances that led to my resignation from the CIA and caused such pain for my family, friends and supporters."

According to The Associated Press, Petraeus "received applause and a standing ovation before he began the evening's program by cutting a cake with a sword in military tradition, a task reserved for the highest ranking person in the room."

As you likely recall, Petraeus left the CIA when it became known that he and his biographer — Paula Broadwell — had an affair after he left the military in September 2011 to lead the CIA.

According to the AP, "while the speech was peppered with jokes about USC and UCLA's longstanding rivalry, [Petraeus] mostly talked about getting better treatment for veterans and soldiers, but stopped short of criticizing current practices."